Thursday, January 23, 2014

April 2014 Solicits

The times they are a-changin' in April with DC Comics making some pretty significant changes in their lineup. I usually don't cover the solicits the day after they come out ... but there was too much news to wait.

New titles coming out include Batman Eternal, Secret Origin, Aquman and the Others, Sinestro, and Justice League United. I will be getting JLU. But Secret Origins (if a monthly) will only be an occasional purchase for me. And I won't be getting Batman Eternal. And I doubt I'll get Future's End either. But a half-dozen books are getting canceled: Superman Unchained, Suicide Squad, Nightwing, Stormwatch, Teen Titans, and Justice League of America. I am sad to hear about Unchained. I have enjoyed the last few months of Suicide Squad. But I have no attachment to the others. Hopefully the next Teen Titans book will be something more classic.Bottom line, the slow erosion of DC titles I am getting continues. While I don't comment on it here, Aaron Kuder is taking over writing Superboy. That is interesting. But until I hear it isn't JLK being evil, I am staying away.Here is CBR's list of all the solicits.

And here are the super-ones I'll be getting. Amazingly, this is a great month for Supergirl, at least given the tone of the solicits.

SUPERGIRL #30
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
In “Red Daughter of Krypton” part 2 of 3, the newest, most powerful Red Lantern
finally meets her match! Worldkiller-1 is a cosmic menace from the darkest
recesses of Kara’s past, and he will gladly destroy every one of her crimson
teammates to get to her…While the cancellations and new titles might be getting the widest coverage, this solicit is the one that grabbed me the most. At last we learn the length of the 'Red Daughter' storyline. Three issues!

Maybe it was always supposed to be three issues. We may never know if DC originally thought it would be longer. But if it was originally going to be more protracted, I would like to think that some of the backlash from this idea, some of it recorded here, made the powers that be rethink it.Of course I could be reading this all wrong. "Red Daughter" might be the name of the first arc of Supergirl as a Red Lantern. Maybe I am being overly optimistic.

But the news of her latest Rogues Gallery addition was just as big for me. Supergirl fights World Killer #1. This is the first step in Tony Bedard's rehabilitation of Supergirl because this means Kara isn't World Killer #1, something hinted at before.In the 'toot my own horn' section of this post, I will remind people that I guessed Kara would fight World Killer #1 here when I said " And an new villain with a connection to her roots. It better not be Alura! Maybe it is the last World Killer, absolving Kara of that tag!"

RED LANTERNS #30
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art and cover by ALESSANDRO VITTI

Guy Gardner’s got a missing comrade, a red-ring-wielding Supergirl, and a
deeply pissed-off Atrocitus to deal with! The last thing he needs is another
new Red Lantern – especially when this one may be the deadliest Red to ever
wear the ring! But whose side will this new Lantern join? And will Rankorr
survive his close encounter with Atrocitus and Dex-Starr?

I am assuming that Supergirl's part in the Red Lantern book will end when Red Daughter ends. So maybe this is a short guest-starring stint. Of course the same caveat as above exists. If Red Daughter goes longer, she will be here longer. This solicit makes her sound like a background character in the book as opposed to a driving force.

JUSTICE LEAGUE
UNITED #0
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by MIKE McKONE
1:50 Variant cover by MIKE McKONE

Top comics writer Jeff Lemire teams with superstar artist Mike McKone for the all-new
monthly series JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED, starring the new team of powerful heroes
Earth calls Justice League Canada!
In the aftermath of FOREVER EVIL, Adam Strange is caught up in an adventure
across the far reaches of the cosmos that will unite an unexpected team of
heroes including Supergirl, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Stargirl, Martian Manhunter
and Animal Man – but if they’re on the team, who exactly is Canadian? Plus:
Don’t miss the debut of a new Canadian hero who will have a huge effect on the
group!

I covered this comic earlier. But the fact that Supergirl is on the cover in her usual costume and not all Red Lantern-y makes me think that Red Daughter may, in fact, just be 3 months long. I like this team as it is a nice mix of legacy heroes, classic JLA heroes, and some Strange Adventurers. If anyone can tie all this together, it's Jeff Lemire. Lemire talks about the book being a mix of Earth-bound and cosmic storylines. I wonder if Kara will come on board in the second arc, giving time for the Red Lantern stuff to run its course.And I love Mike McKone's work.

At last, the SECRET ORIGINS of the World’s Greatest Heroes in The New 52 can be
revealed! This new series gets off to an awesome start with the origins of The
Last Son of Krypton and Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, plus the first Robin, Dick
Grayson.

I am assuming this is a monthly book. As a younger reader, I really loved the post-Crisis Secret Origins book. I sampled the characters I liked or was interested in. I bought books by interesting creative teams. And it worked for a post-Crisis world where some origins were new or updated.

So maybe this will work in the New 52 universe where I have no idea, for example, about Stargirl's origin if Starman never existed. And this issue includes both Superman and Supergirl. So I am on board. So, in theory, Supergirl appears in 4 titles this month. Not bad for a Supergirl fan. I hope in the future DC limits the issues to 1 or 2 heroes. Shoving three in seems like too much.

ACTION COMICS #30
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by AARON KUDER

Following the events of FOREVER EVIL, Superman confronts Lex Luthor – but the
world has turned around for these two. The hero has become the villain and the
villain the hero as forces beyond these two gather to destroy the Man of Steel,
beginning with a dormant Doomsday who has crossed over from the Phantom Zone!

You know, as much as the Supergirl news is great news, a cause of celebration, the Superman news is kind of depressing. Remember, this month Lex Luthor becomes the leader of the Justice League. So of course, Superman has to be hunted now.

And it is apparently Doomsday month. Remember that in the Doomsday villains month issue, we saw a mythic scene reminiscent of Death of Superman and Reign of the Superman storyling.

Every man, woman and child in Smallville has suddenly fallen into a coma while
the citizens of the Bottled City of Kandor begin to rise again. Meanwhile,
Superman has his hands full as Doomsday cuts a swath of destruction through the
heart of the earth itself!

So this isn't the cover as that is a Rocafort picture and this states Andy Kubert is the artist.

I keep forgetting that Kandor is around and in stasis. I shouldn't forget given I love Morrison's run on this book.

And we still have Lobdell on the book. We did hear that a new all star team with JRJR was coming. Guess not this month.

SUPERMAN
UNCHAINED #9
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and wraparound cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Backup story art by DUSTIN NGUYEN
This is it – the extraordinary finale of Scott Snyder and Jim Lee’s Superman
saga, surrounded by an epic wraparound cover! It’s a battle in the sun as
Superman and Wraith accept their destinies…and Lex Luthor pulls the trigger on
his ultimate weapon!

In more bad news, Superman Unchained is ending as a title! This is the final issue of this storyline.

I am sad about this. I really enjoyed this book.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN
#10
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by JAE LEE

Following the events of FIRST CONTACT, witness the last days of Batman and
Superman of Earth 2 from a new perspective.

We have seen their 'deaths' in Earth 2. We saw them in action earlier in this title. Now we get to see those last moments again. Given the First Contact reference, I am hoping we see some Supergirl and Robin.

SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #7
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art and cover by PAULO SIQUEIRA

Doomsday has awakened and the Earth and heavens tremble! And discover how
Superman and Wonder Woman survived a nuclear blast!

I don't even know if I am going to be around for this title at this time. But again we hear Doomsday is around.

While I don't mind Paulo Siqueira on art, I don't like this cover with a skeletal Superman. A bit too much like the nuked Superman in The Dark Knight Returns for my blood.

The Green Lantern ring for space sector 2813 was inactive for years after
Krypton’s end, until the creation of the Argo colony recalled it to service. As
none of Zod’s followers are suitable candidates, the ring’s search brings it to
the nearest Kryptonian it can recruit! SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 continues in
“Lantern” part 1 of 4!

Now this is a great solicit. I am pretty interested in the concept of this arc. We have seen Superman don the GL ring now and then but this sounds a little more permanent, at least 4 issues worth. So Kudos to Bryan Q. Miller for keeping this 'season' moving forward. But hearing Marcio Takara is on art is an added treat. Seeing his commissions on line makes me hope I'll run into him at a convention. And his Supergirl is so spectacular I hope she at least has a cameo in this arc.And lastly, great cover by Cat Staggs.

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #12
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Art by AGUSTIN PADILLA
Cover by ED BENES

Superman has always stood for “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” but when
a new vigilante known as the Demolisher starts cleaning up the streets of
Metropolis in a way that Superman never could, the Man of Steel wonders if this
new brand of hero is what his city truly needs.

Sounds a bit too much like 'What's so Funny about Truth, Justice, and the American Way'. I mean, it really does. Hopefully Milligan can put a spin on it.

Following their team-up with Batman and Superman, Power Girl and Huntress have
some difficult choices ahead. What’s next for the Worlds’ Finest...and what
world will they choose?

And now this little gem. Could this be the issue where Power Girl and Huntress head back to Earth 2? We heard there would be a new creative team on this book. Maybe this is the last issue before 'a bold new direction'!!

I do think this book could thrive with the heroes back on their home Earth.

So overall a very interesting month of solicits. Red Daughter is only 3 issues. Kara isn't the World Killer. Kara on a Justice League. Kara in Secret Origin. It's all good!

Really hoping Karen and Helena don't go back to Earth 2. The concept of them living on Prime Earth is a good one. That Levitz has done jack with it (and the book in general) is not the fault of the concept.